Institute of Public Transport Planning (IPTP) offers two positions as Research Associate (PhD candidate or Postdoctoral researcher)

Dear all,

The Institute of Public Transport Planning (IPTP) offers two positions as Research Associate (PhD candidate or Postdoctoral researcher) (m/f/d)
(EG 13 TV-L, full-time contract for 3 years)

We are seeking highly motivated researchers (PhD candidates and Postdoctoral researchers) for the newly founded Institute of Public Transport Planning (IPTP) at TU Braunschweig. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Public transport service design, including optimisation of networks.
• Public transport infrastructure development.
• Environmental externalities of transport systems, decarbonisation and life-cycle assessment.
• Health benefits of walking and cycling as complementary modes to public transport.
• Public transport pricing decisions.
• Social effects of public transport.
• Impacts of extreme weather on public transport systems.
• Quality of service and user loyalty.
• Accessibility and public transport.
• New technologies: the effects of vehicle automation on the future of public transport.
• Shared modes (e.g., bike-sharing, car-sharing) and their relationship to public transport.
• Ride-pooling and flexible forms of public transport.

Your tasks
• Design and develop a new research project. Research topics are not restricted to the list presented above, other topics are also welcome. Multimodal research that includes public transport is also welcome.
• Collaborate with academic and non-academic partners and contribute to interdisciplinary exchange in our field.
• Support teaching and supervision of student projects.

Your qualifications
For PhD applicants
• Completed university degree (Master or Diploma) in relevant fields such as civil engineering, transport engineering, industrial engineering, urban planning, computer science, data science or related disciplines.
• Very good knowledge of English is required; knowledge of German is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience in research is a plus.
• Methodological knowledge and passion for scientific writing.

For Postdoc applicants
• Completed PhD degree. You may also apply if you have not completed your PhD yet, but have a date for your final examination.
• Research experience on transport and mobility topics.
• Very good knowledge of English is required; knowledge of German is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Methodological knowledge and passion for scientific writing.

We offer
• A research position in new vibrant group.
• Academic supervision and support for your research.
• Opportunities for professional development and training programs.
• Support for active participation in national and international scientific conferences.

About Technische Universität Braunschweig
TU Braunschweig is the academic centre in the middle of one of the most active research regions in Europe and has a renowned Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences. We work successfully with over 20 research institutions in our region as well as with our international partner universities. Our university’s core research areas are mobility, metrology, engineering for health, and city of the future. TU Braunschweig is part of TU9 – the association of the top nine German universities of technology. The institutes from TU Braunschweig stand for relevant research, strategic and results-driven thinking and action, committed teaching and successful transfer of knowledge and technologies to society and industry.

Further notes on this call
We welcome applicants of all nationalities. At the same time, we welcome the interest of severely disabled people and give preference to their applications if they are equally qualified (please indicate this in your application and enclose proof). Furthermore, we are working to fulfil the equality mandate based on the Lower Saxony Equal Opportunities Act (NGG) and are striving to reduce underrepresentation as defined by the NGG in all areas and positions. We therefore encourage applications from female candidates.

As part of your application, please submit:
• Your CV
• Copies of all relevant degrees obtained.
• List of courses of relevant degrees, including grades.
• A short research proposal (1–2 pages, plus references). Ideas in any level of maturity are welcome. The main selection criteria will be novelty, potential and feasibility of the idea.
• Two persons named as references, with contact details.

You are welcome to include Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools as part of the topics of the research proposal, if you wish to do so, but the use of Large Language Models (LLM) to write the proposal is not permitted. The proposal must be written by the applicant him/herself.

The application deadline is October 31st, 2025. The ideal start date is February 2026, but there is flexibility on the start date depending on personal circumstances.

Personal data will be stored for the purpose of processing the application. By submitting your application, you agree that your data may be stored and processed electronically for application purposes in compliance with data protection regulations. Further information on data protection can be found in our privacy policy at www.tu-braunschweig.de/datenschutzerklaerung-bewerbungen. Application expenses cannot be refunded.

Please send your complete application as a single PDF file to iptp@tu-braunschweig.de. The subject of the email should be “PhD application: your name” or “Postdoc application: your name”).

Questions regarding the application process or the positions are also received at iptp@tu-braunschweig.de.

Please feel free to share with potential candidates.

Kind regards,
Alejandro Tirachini
Professor
Technische Universität Braunschweig